That One Night
by kingspensieve
Summary: The Fidelius Charm has been cast, and the Potters are safely hidden away. At 21, James has toned down his attitude but is impulsive as ever. He can't stand being cooped up and decides to go see Sirius to find out what's been happening in the Order of the Phoenix and the war. His actions, though, may have consequences he never considered. Two-part short story.


**That One Night**

_Part One_

He was going out again. She'd asked him not to so many times. But he just couldn't stand being cooped up in this house for long.

James was upstairs packing a small emergency backpack, while Lily sat downstairs watching Harry play on the floor. She looked up when she heard his footsteps on the stairs.

"Where'd I put that cloak, Lil?" he asked, looking around the sitting room. She looked back down at Harry, who had starting playing with the My First Potions Kit that Severus had given him on his birthday.

"It's in the bottom of the wardrobe, right where I put the last time you came back and left it out," she sighed quietly. It didn't seem to register with James that she was really uncomfortable with him leaving the safety of the house and leaving her alone there.

"Aha!" James slung the Invisibility Cloak around his shoulders and walked over to crouch down next to Harry, "Hey, kid. Give me a hug; Daddy's going out for a while." Harry climbed to his feet and latched onto his father. Lily smiled for a moment, before looking away again.

"Lily, I'll only be a couple of hours," James set Harry back at his play-set and sat next to her, "We've only been under the Fidelius for a week, and in that time we've become completely shut off from the Order. I'm going to meet Sirius, get an update on what's happening, and I'll be back."

"And what if you're not?" she asked quietly, "Every time you leave the wards, you put yourself at risk. What if they catch you? Is this so important that you're willing to risk not coming home?"

"We need to know what's happening. Right now, the Ministry and Hogwarts could have fallen, and we wouldn't know it. A few people know where we are. What happens if they're all taken? No one will be able to contact us," he looked her in the eye, "Two hours. That's it. That's all I'll be gone. I've got the cloak. I've got a wand, and I know how to use it. You and Harry will be safe as long as you stay in the house. It's 11:20 right now. I'll be back around one or half past. No worries."

"I really wish you wouldn't. But I know you will...," Lily took a deep breath, "Be safe, won't you? Don't let Sirius talk you into something idiotic. You know he'll try to. And maybe...if this is going to be recurring...we could let someone else in the charm, so I wouldn't have to be by myself, worrying the whole time." She didn't say who, specifically, to let in on the Fidelius Charm, but James caught on immediately.

"What if he's the spy, Lil?" he said harshly, "He could get in here and do You-Know-Who's work for him. We know there's a spy in the order. What if it's him?"

"James, for Merlin's sake, Remus doesn't even know where we are for the same reason! Even if all of the werewolves are joining You-Know-Who, I highly doubt that Remus is among them. And he's your friend. You know it's not either of them. We can't just shut out our friends. We need people we can rely on."

"I don't want to believe he is, but that's completely beside the point. He's closer to You-Know-Who than anyone else in the Order. He almost became one of them. He was this close," he held up two fingers barely separated, "to following Lucius Malfoy right into the fold like a lost little puppy. Forgive me if I lack more faith in him than in my friends."

"He's my friend, though," said Lily, "And I trust him as much as you trust Sirius. He would not harm us; he's a Healer, James! His oaths actually prevent him killing."

"He doesn't have to kill you or Harry to drag you outside the wards."

"James. Enough. If you're determined to leave us to go meet Sirius for a few hours every week, I want someone that I trust here with me and Harry. I want you to tell Sirius to have Peter let him know where we are," Lily told him. She had given in on him leaving the wards to meet Sirius, but this would be her condition for doing so. James either had to agree or stay home, and he understood the message.

"Fine. I'll have them add Snape tomorrow," it looked as though the idea left a particularly bad taste in his mouth, but he nodded, "He doesn't have the Mark anyway, so I feel better about that. And I suppose he does know more curses than anyone except the Death Eaters themselves. Probably the person most able to do any protecting, if it comes right down to it, even if his protecting falls just shy of shady." He gave Lily a small smile, which she returned.

"You should go if you're going," she said. He nodded and rose to fasten the Invisibility Cloak firmly on his shoulders. With only his head visible, floating in midair, he leaned forward to give her a quick peck on the cheek. A quick ruffle of Harry's hair later, he was out the front door. A moment after the door closed, Lily heard the _crack_ of Apparition and went to lock the door.

Lily caught Harry rubbing his eyes and yawning and decided to put him to bed. She put his little Potions kit away in the small toy box they kept behind James's chair and picked him up. Singing a Muggle lullaby that fascinated James, she carried Harry up the stairs and tucked him into his crib. He had fallen asleep while she had carried him. Lily brushed the hair that was rapidly becoming his father's back from his face and smiled at him. Her little boy was growing so fast.

She left and went to find a book from the bedroom to read until James got home. She had just walked into the room when she felt a disturbance in the magic around them and heard the unmistakeable click of a lock. A glance at the clock on the nightstand told her it was midnight; James wouldn't be back, not yet. Nor would he have used magic to unlock the door. He had a key. She mentally ran through the tiny list of people who had been informed of their hiding place: Sirius, Peter, Albus, and Minerva. Lily swallowed. None of them would have disturbed the magic. They were all keyed not to set off the alarm. That left only one option: someone who had not been keyed to the alarm had been told of their location. Lily took the steps back across the hall to Harry's room at a silent sprint.

She locked the door, all the while knowing it wasn't going to do any good. There were footsteps at the bottom of the stairs. There was a pause, then they began climbing. Lily went to Harry and crouched in front of the crib. At her quiet sniffle, he opened his eyes and reached for her through the bars. She held his hand to her face and closed her eyes, wondering what she could possibly do and knowing there was only one thing she could do.

"Mama," Harry said. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

The footsteps had reached the landing. The lock clicked.

_"Harry, you are so loved. Mama loves you. Dada loves you. Harry, be safe. Be strong."_

* * *

><p>-Quote: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two<p>

*A/N This is Part One of a two part story that may turn into more later but will technically be complete. There aren't many stories out there (that I've seen) that take this route, and I've been wanting one. So... I made one. Also, general places, characters, etc., - obviously not mine.


End file.
